Page freshman Zak Mizell learned last week that clichés are often clichés because they’re true.

Mizell, who according to Patriots first-year Coach Richard Herzog “wasn’t on the depth chart” at quarterback, got his first start in a televised game Thursday night against District 12-AA rival — and defending Class 4A state champion — Giles County.

All he did was throw for a first-half touchdown and lead a game-winning fourth-quarter drive as the Pats snapped a three-game losing streak with a 13-7 road victory.

“Either he’s too innocent to know better or he’s just got ice water in his veins,” Herzog said after Mizell completed six of eight passes for a modest 61 yards, but was effective enough to get Page in the end zone twice following a string of losses to Eagleville, district foe Lewis County and Ravenwood, during which the team scored just four TDs.

“He made some mistakes, but they didn’t faze him. He hung in in the fourth quarter and made some plays.”

Sophomore Austin Madge, who led Page to a season-opening win against David Lipscomb, sustained a concussion in the Eagleville loss and has not played since. Aaron Cooperman, a senior in his first season at the position, “hasn’t panned out,” Herzog said, resulting in Mizell getting the nod against the Bobcats.

With Madge close to being symptom-free and an open week that should allow a number of the Patriots to recover from some nagging injuries, Mizell (10-15, 119 yards, two TDs for the season) may be sidelined for the Oct. 1 matchup with East Hickman.

“My policy about starting is, if you’re injured, you don’t lose your starting position,” Herzog said. “You get it back if you’re healthy enough to play and you’re ready to play. I’m not sure if Austin’s going to be ready to play. We’re going to continue to start Zak until something else develops.

“If he’s not on the field with us, he’s going to be down on the freshman team trying to improve.”